Don't Say I Never Did Anything For You
by inu382
Summary: As the Ceremonial Battle draws to an end, Yuugi realizes that he isn't willing to let go of Atem- "You narcissistic, parasitic, selfish asshole! GIVE ME BACK MY DECK!" Yugi screeched, stomping on the ground for good measure. AtemYuugi, SetoJou, others.
1. Chapter 1

Basically, everything is cannon(ish) until the end of the dialogue (which I'm taking from the subbed version).

* * *

Tears filled Yuugi's eyes as the Silent Magician completed her attack and rid Atem of the former Pharaoh's remaining life points. Falling to his knees, Yuugi's entire being rebelled against the idea of losing his best friend, his confidante…

And the person he loved most.

Yuugi barely registered Atem as he crouched before Yuugi, and startled at the comforting hand that landed on his shoulder.

"Stand up," the Pharaoh commanded, "The winner shouldn't be on his knees. If I were you, I wouldn't cry."

Yuugi tried to swallow his sobs. "I-I'm too weak…You've always been my goal! I always wanted to be strong…like you."

A gentle smile crossed Atem's face as his fingers tightened on Yuugi's shoulder. "You're not weak. You've _always_ had a power that no one else could beat…The strength of kindness! That's what I learned from you.

"_Aibou…_" Atem put both hands on Yuugi's shoulders, encouraging the shorter boy to stand with him, "The courage you showed me when you accepted this Battle Ceremony showed me the path that I must take."

"Other me…" Yuugi muttered.

"I'm not the 'other you' anymore," Atem replied. "And you are no one but yourself! You're the _only_ Mutou Yuugi in the world!"

Though tears were still in the corners of his eyes, Yuugi valiantly put on a brave face and nodded. Suddenly, the eye of Wadjet lit up brilliantly, and Yuugi knew it was time to say goodbye.

"You're not the 'other me' anymore…" Yuugi whispered to himself. As Atem faced the doorway, Yuugi suddenly reached forward, grasping desperately at the Pharaoh's wrist.

"If you're not the 'other me' anymore…you're Atem! And you're the only Atem in the world!"

Atem smiled kindly, his hand coming to rest upon Yuugi's with an encouraging squeeze.

"And that means you're your own person and that I can say that…that I love you," Yuugi's hand tightened, silently begging for the Pharaoh to understand. Atem's eyes widened in shock, before a happy expression settled on his face.

"Yuugi…" Atem drew the shorter boy close, hugging him tightly. "Can I assume this means you want me to stay?"

Yuugi nodded frantically. "Please don't go."

Isis' eyes were sad as she replied for the Pharaoh. "The spirits of the dead are not meant to linger among the living. The Pharaoh must pass on, Yuugi."

"There _are_ loopholes, though," Atem said, shrewdly. "If I were to pass on and then come back, _technically_, I'd have been to the afterlife as I was supposed to and then I would come back with a blank slate."

Isis' eyebrow twitched. "I…I suppose that is true, Pharaoh, but there is no time to discuss that now and I do not believe we could find such a way."

"I dunno," Jou grinned. "I could go for another adventure that includes life or death situations. Otherwise, I'd be bored outta my mind."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Great. Just when I thought I'd be rid of you people…"

The entire cavern rumbled and small pebbles fell from the ceiling. Marik looked around, panicky, as he felt the universe become restless with their stalling. "Guys, we're messing with things we don't have any chance of understanding. We'll all miss you, Pharaoh, but could you kindly _die_ already?"

"Man, I live half my life without fully understanding anything," Jou snorted, "I say we stall as long as we need to."

Yuugi pulled away from Atem and looked up into crimson eyes. "Atem…do _you_ want to stay? With me?"

"Is that okay with Jii-chan?" Atem joked.

Said grandfather rolled his eyes. "Like I have a choice. You know how Yuugi gets when he wants something."

A mischievous light entered Atem's eyes. "Yes…Yes, I _do_ know how Yuugi gets."

The cavern gave another great rumble, the occupants having to throw themselves to the side to avoid being crushed by falling debris.

"Not that this isn't super sweet and all," Mokuba complained, covering his head, "But can we _please_ decide on what we're doing and _get the hell out_?!"

"Atem!" Yuugi cried, desperately.

The kindess returned to the Pharaoh's countenance, and his hands settled on Yuugi's cheeks. "Yuugi…I have to go. Our purpose as two souls in one body is done; the millennium items will only be sealed if my soul goes to the afterlife. I have to go through that doorway."

Tears rolled down Yuugi's face as he buried himself in Atem's chest.

"You're strong enough now, Yuugi," Atem whispered, hugging the other close, "You've always been strong enough. You don't need to follow me anymore. You should…no, you _will_ follow your own path."

As Yuugi sobbed, he paid no attention to the falling rocks, the screams of his friends…

Or the stealthy hand that slipped into his deck holster.

"But, we _will_ meet again, Yuugi," Atem said with conviction, causing Yuugi to pull away and stare up at Atem.

"We…we will?" he asked hopefully.

"We'd better," Atem smirked, that mischievous expression back on his face in full force, "Or you'll never get your deck back."

Yuugi pulled away completely, surprised. "What're you…?"

A wicked grin pulled across Atem's face as he waved the aforementioned cards in his hand.

"How did you—!" Yuugi cried, looking into his holster for his cards—true to Atem's word, the Pharaoh had somehow snuck out his entire deck, side deck included.

Atem jogged towards the light in the doorway, a smile on his face. "Yuugi! If you want your cards back—if you want _me_ back—figure out a way! I'll be waiting for you!"

The leather pants and jacket turned in a mauve cape and a white tunic and the son of Aknamkanon returned to proper death, leaving a gaping Mutou Yuugi behind. The door shut before the young duelist could react; before his wits were gathered, the group dragged him away as the cavern collapsed entirely.

The millennium items were sealed forever; Isis and Marik were free to live their lives and no longer had to serve the Pharaoh; the adventure was over and the world was safe.

"I'd call that a win," Otogi shrugged.

"_He took my freaking deck!_" Yuugi raged, stomping around and kicking up sand, "_And_ he expects me to figure out a way to bring him _back to life so he can return the cards he stole!_"

Anzu smiled uncertainly, "Well…even when he's gone, other Yuugi sure knows how to keep things lively."

"Atem," Jou corrected. "And we'd better figure out how to get him back soon, before Yuugi has a coronary."

Honda sighed. "Just when I thought we'd be normal high schoolers again…"

Jou looked at Seto expectantly. Annoyed, the brunet huffed.

"_What,_ Jou?"

"I hope you don't think you're staying out of this, Kaiba."

"Are we expected to help, too?" Marik asked, somewhat resigned.

"Of course!" Anzu replied. "We're all helping! There's no way Yuugi's giving up, and we shouldn't either. Atem gave up his soul so that the world would be safe—he's lived nothing but an unselfish life. All he wants to is to be cute with Yuugi and we're gonna make sure it happens!"

"If Yuugi doesn't kill him first." Rishid said, deadpan.

"Yuugi doesn't have the heart," Sugoroku laughed confidently.

"Atem! Come back to life _this instant_ and give me back my deck, you narcissistic, parasitic, selfish asshole! GIVE ME BACK MY DECK!" Yuugi screeched to the ground, stomping on it for good measure.

* * *

Atem walked toward his former council and friends, smiling at them as he approached. On his chest, he felt the familiar and comforting weight of the millennium puzzle.

"It has been too long, my friend," Mahado declared as he stepped forward, hugging the Pharaoh.

"It has," Atem agreed, and similarly greeted the others. "But I'm afraid I won't be here long."

Mana frowned. "But…your destiny is completed, Atem. You don't have any reason to remain amongst the living. Your story is over."

Atem grinned, his hands encircling the puzzle and giving the others a glimpse of an _absolutely pissed off_ Mutou Yuugi.

"…_you narcissistic, parasitic, selfish asshole! GIVE ME BACK MY DECK!"_

"My friends, my story has only just begun."

* * *

I hate myself. Someone stop me.


	2. Chapter 2

I have a rudimentary understanding of Egyptian burial rites and religious beliefs. If you find anything out of order, please let me know and I will correct it.

Also, the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie, with Anubis, never happened.

* * *

Mana frowned. "But…your destiny is completed, Atem. You don't have any reason to remain amongst the living. Your story is over."

Atem grinned, his hands encircling the puzzle and giving the others a glimpse of an _absolutely pissed off_ Mutou Yuugi.

"…_you narcissistic, parasitic, selfish asshole! GIVE ME BACK MY DECK!"_

"My friends, my story has only just begun," Atem laughed.

* * *

Yuugi pouted, glaring down the staircase to where Atem had left them. Now that the initial anger had worn off, Yuugi was left with a sense of mourning and confusion. On one hand, the young dueling champion was at a loss as to what to do and felt that it was unfair to bring Atem back from a peaceful rest.

_But he wants to stay with me…_ Yuugi frowned. _And as much of a pompous asshole as he is, I really want him back, too_.

Jou walked beside him, placing a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "So, what now, buddy?"

Yuugi sighed, took a deep breath, and turned to Jou with a smile, "We bring him back, of course."

"You could just buy all those cards back instead of setting off some other catastrophe," Seto muttered, arms crossed.

"As if, rich-boy," Jou scoffed.

"Right!" Anzu cheered, "It's more than the deck! We want our friend back, too."

Honda nodded. "Exactly; he can't just come into our lives, change everything, and leave. We've got to bring that loser back!"

"And I think we've lectured you enough times about the heart of the cards for you to realize that my specific deck is special to me and I won't replace it," Yuugi smiled wryly at Seto, who rolled his eyes.

"Don't you dare start that up again," the brunet groaned. "And before I get another speech on friendship _über alles_—Kaiba Corp. will be supporting your endeavors, so long as you never sully my office with your presence, Mazaki."

Anzu smiled prettily. "I'll hold you to that, Kaiba kun. I have my next speech written already, so don't test me!"

Seto suppressed a shudder, though a knowing smile from Mokuba proved he wasn't entirely successful.

"That's all well and good," Marik interjected, "But now that the Pharaoh is back where he belongs, I don't think Isis, Rishid or I need to get involved anymore."

Isis bit her lip, glancing away. "Actually, little brother, I desire to become involved."

"Isis?" Marik asked warily. "Why?"

"I feel as though our lives were always intertwined with the Pharaoh's and that we will always owe him a huge debt. I don't think I can move on with my own life until that debt is repaid. If the Pharaoh's final wish had been to move onto the afterlife in peace, I could have walked away from here and never looked back," Isis sighed and looked at the sun.

"But that wasn't his final wish and I still owe him a life debt. Until he is reunited with Yuugi kun, I don't want to walk away. Once the Pharaoh is truly happy, I will feel the chains finally fall away.

"Our lives will always be entangled with the Pharaoh's," Isis repeated, her gaze so focused, it seemed she was looking through the sun to Ra, "May as well bring him back to life so we don't feel as though we're always involved with a dead man."

With a reluctant groan, Marik trudged over to Isis and put his arm around her slender shoulders.

"_Fiiiiiiine_," he griped, "But only because you're doing it, too."

Marik turned to Rishid, a resigned smirk on his face. "Coming?"

Rishid rolled his eyes. "As if I have a choice."

"Great!" Honda grinned. "So, what should we do first? A séance? Do we have to go corpse robbing or something, so he has something for his soul to come back to?"

Isis smiled indulgently. "No, Honda kun. Pharaoh's _ka_ and _ba_ must be reunited for him to have any hope of reviving. Once they become his _akh_, his _akh_ will either repossess his body or it will roam our world."

Jou glanced around. "Anyone else gettin' this?"

Sugoroku chuckled. "The ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, especially a pharaoh, their essential being separated into their _ka_ and _ba._ The _ka_ is what we would consider their spirit, and it leaves the body at death. The _ba_ would be what we would consider their personality—their uniqueness, if you will—and it remains with the body. When the _ka_ and _ba_ unite, they become the _akh_; the closest idea we have to the _akh_ would be the ghost—the _ahk_ is able to come to the world of the living and, at the request of living members, can help. Conversely, if the funeral rites are done incorrectly, the _akh_ can also 'haunt' people. However, if the funeral rites and spells properly guide the_ akh_, the _akh_ can travel to the afterlife. The pharaoh's _akh_, specifically, went on to become a god.

What Isis is saying is that Atem kun's _ka_ has passed on, but we need to find his mummy in order for us to reunite his _ba_ with his _ka_. If we have any hope of restoring Atem kun, we will need to do the rites properly, or there is a risk of Atem kun's _akh_ dying again."

"Dying again?" Anzu frowned. "But, he's already dead. How can he die again?"

"Because our physical death is not the end of our lives," Isis explained patiently. "Death occurs when our heart, our _jb_, becomes tired. Thus, we begin a new life and, with the proper rites and spells, we may one day join Ra in the sky or our _akh_ may join the stars. However, the _ba_ frequently returns to the body at night—which is why the body is mummified and preserved so meticulously—and the Book of the Dead is needed to ensure a safe journey to and from the body. In order for a person to continue to exist in the afterlife, the body must be preserved, which is what the _ba_ constantly returns for. If, however, Pharaoh's _akh _succumbs to some danger, he will experience true death, and will be unable to return."

"Basically," Yuugi interjected, "think of mortal death as losing a life in a game. If you die after you've lost all your lives, it's game over."

Anzu shuddered. "That's terrible. But none of that is real, right? Atem can come back to his body whenever he wants, right?"

Sugoroku hummed, a hand stroking his beard. "We saw Atem kun's _ka_ go to the afterlife, and it will likely reunite properly with his _ba_, but his _ba_ will need to return to his body. He's been safe all these years because his soul was trapped in the millennium puzzle, and then trapped inside Yuugi. But now that he is properly in the afterlife, Atem kun's _ka_ and _ba_ will separate at night, so that his _ba_ can return and sustain his body."

"Which means, we have to work fast," Marik surmised. "I doubt Pharaoh's _akh_ will be in danger, because he was a beloved Pharaoh and I'm sure Priest Set did all he could to ensure only the best rites and magical spells were used to send off Pharaoh's _akh_. However, it's only a matter of time before his heart is weighed, and he's sent off to the stars as a divine being. Now that Pharaoh knows his true name, he won't be sent off to oblivion, so he'll soon be weighed against Ma'at by Anubis."

"I don't understand any of this!" Honda cried, grasping at his hair.

"It would take too much to explain all this to you," Rishid said, apologetically, "because your language does not have the same connotations that ours does. All you need to know is that we're on a tight schedule. Once the Pharaoh's soul passes Anubis' test, he will likely be sent to the stars as a god and, at that point, will be unrecoverable."

"It may take some time, though," Isis muttered, biting her thumbnail anxiously. "Although the Pharaoh knows his name now, there are no records of it anywhere in his tomb or in any other text, because of the Pharaoh's wishes to prevent Zorc's rebirth. Though he has spoken his name to the Eye of Wadjet, Anubis will scour what he can for proof. We have until then."

"How long is that?" Ryou asked quietly.

Isis, Rishid, and Marik glanced at each other.

"Well?" Seto demanded, tapping his foot quickly.

"We have no way of knowing," Rishid replied, bowing his head.

Yuugi's fists clenched tightly. Silently, Jou put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder; Honda followed suit and put a hand on Yuugi's other shoulder; finally, Anzu reached out and put a hand on Yuugi's back. Yuugi smiled, briefly remembering Duelist Kingdom, and gathered all the strength his friends were offering him.

"Then we'd better not waste time," Yuugi announced. "What do we do first?"

Isis smiled happily at Yuugi. _The Pharaoh will never be lonely again_, she decided.

"First," the former priestess said aloud, "we must ascertain that the Pharaoh's mummy is still preserved. His mask must be legible and his Book of the Dead must be on the walls of either his coffin or the walls of his pyramid. If his body is okay, then his _ba_ will have something to return to each evening. Second, someone must read his Book of the Dead and see if there are any spells that can help us. Meanwhile, one of us must go pray to the gods for guidance, specifically Osiris. Lastly, I hate to say it…but we may need the millennium items back."

"What?" Otogi exclaimed. "After all the trouble we just went through to seal them away?!"

"They won't have any powers anyway, right?" Mokuba raised a brow.

Anzu gripped at her shirt, above her heart. "And we can't make them. We can't have another Kul Elna."

"It is a potential waste of time," Isis admitted, "They may be powerless. But, the Pharaoh originally locked his soul inside the puzzle and sealed them away to prevent their use bringing back Zorc. Now that Zorc has been defeated for good by Horakhty, the millennium items may continue their use as they once were used before the Thief King possessed the Ring. It is a long shot, but the spells in the Book of the Dead and the Book of Going Forth by Day may not be enough. And it doesn't hurt to have the Pharaoh's second most treasured possession while we're trying to bring him back."

Yuugi blinked. "Second most? What's the first?"

Jou grinned, leering at Yuugi. "Ain't it obvious? You're the first!"

A deep red blush covered the shorter duelist's cheeks before realization struck. "Wha—! I'm not a _possession_!"

Marik rolled his eyes. "He's a pharaoh, Yuugi kun. _Everything_ he likes is a possession. Or would you prefer to be his _hmt nswt wrt_?"

"His what?"

Isis giggled. "His Great Royal Wife."

Yuugi's face lost all color before he pounced on a laughing Marik. As the smaller boy chased the blond around, the others gathered together to continue their planning. Eventually, Sugoroku grabbed Yuugi and Rishid grabbed Marik, effectively stopping their game.

"Yuugi, it's time to focus," Sugoroku reminded kindly.

With a sigh, Yuugi nodded. "I know. I'm just…scared. What if we fail? What if we mess up and doom Atem's soul to oblivion?"

Marik patted Yuugi's hair affectionately, "We won't, I promise. Isis, Rishid, and I are direct descendants of Tomb Keepers. We know what we're doing when it comes to funeral rites, even if they're ancient."

"And I somehow doubt that Atem's gonna give up so easily anyway," Jou snickered.

Emboldened, Yuugi nodded, grinning back at his friend. "You're right.

"If I recall correctly, Isis mentioned that there was a lot for us to do. I think we should split up and each do a different task. The quicker we do this, the better."

Nods and noises of assent filtered through the group.

"So, call it, Yuugi," Honda encouraged, lightly poking the smaller teen with his elbow. "You're the leader, yeah?"

Yuugi looked around at the expectant people facing him; it was odd to be the leader and not have that confident voice in the back of his head telling him what to do. But, regardless of how much Yuugi wanted Atem back, Atem was right—there was only one Mutou Yuugi in the world, and Yuugi was capable of everything Atem could do, including leading people. Yuugi didn't necessarily _need_ Atem the way he needed him before.

Before, Atem was a mentor and a protector for a less mature Yuugi; now, Atem was the other half, an _equal_ half, of Yuugi's soul.

"Isis san, you've always been much more in-tune with Egyptian spirituality than anyone else. Please, go to the temple next to Atem's pyramid and pray to Osiris; maybe you'll find answers. As I understand it, people can pray to the _akh_ to help them when they're in need. Maybe we can pray to Atem's _akh_, too, and get some more clues on how to bring him back. Rishid san, you should go with her.

"Jou—I need you, Honda kun, Mokuba kun, and Kaiba kun to go back to the hotel. Kaiba kun, I'm sorry to ask—" Yuugi graciously ignored Seto's 'I'm calling bullshit' expression, as well as Jou's apparent catatonic state—"but I need you to use your corporation's resources to get back down into that cavern and dig out the millennium items. Ryou kun, do you remember anything from when the Thief King possessed you recently?"

Ryou blanched, but the pale boy nodded. "I…I remember some things, Yuugi kun. Why do you ask?"

"I want you to go with Jou, Kaiba kun, Mokuba kun, and Honda kun. Maybe there was something in that sociopath's head that could help us, in case the millennium items don't work. Also, as a former holder of an item, you may be able to sense where they are. Can…can you do this for me?"

A stubborn expression crossed the usually mild boy's face as he smiled back at Yuugi. "Of course, Yuugi kun. Leave it to me."

"What about us, Yuugi?" Anzu asked, motioning to herself and the others the shorter duelist hadn't assigned anything to.

"Anzu chan, we are going back into Atem's tomb. Otogi kun, I'm asking you to come with us in case there's any money issues that need handling, but you won't go inside the actual tomb with us. You and Anzu chan will stay outside. Jii chan, Marik, and I will go inside. Jii chan and I know our way around well and we know how to get around the traps; Marik, even though jii chan and I can read ancient Egyptian, you have a much deeper understanding than we'll ever have, and you may help us find another clue."

Yuugi inhaled deeply—this was going to be the biggest adventure they'd ever had together with the biggest possible reward as an outcome; failure was not an option, as far as Yuugi was concerned. He looked around at the people who'd helped him along his journey with Atem, and he smiled confidently.

He was _sure_ they'd succeed.

"_Yuuuuuuuuuugi! _Why am I stuck with freakin' _Kaiba_?!" Jou finally hollered, apparently over his shock.

Well, pretty sure.

"Sorry, Jounouchi kun!" Yuugi laughed and ran towards a dune buggy, dragging Anzu along.

Seto sighed, ending a call on his cell phone. "Forget it, dog-boy. Let's just get this over with."

Jou glared at Seto, then looked to the heavens.

"Someone help me _not_ kill Kaiba."

Isis giggled as she and Rishid hopped onto the dune buggy. "I'll be sure to ask Pharaoh to bring you serenity."

* * *

"Wait, what is the meaning of this?" Shimon asked, watching the group of teenagers go their separate ways.

Atem dropped his hand, thus dissipating the portal. "I had thought that to pass on to the afterlife was what I craved. I was wrong. I want to remain with Yuugi. However, in order for Zorc's threat to disappear once and for all, I needed to die so that the former use of the millennium items will disappear as well. Now that I have passed, the items will seek their rightful owners, and Yuugi will hopefully have a chance at getting me out of here."

"You're leaving again?" Mana asked, eyes sad. "So soon?"

Atem embraced her gently, a small smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I sincerely thought I would be happy here. Even after all that time in Yuugi's head, I couldn't tell how he felt about me. Now that I know for sure that there's more than a chance that he loves me, I'm not going to go to the afterlife quietly."

Mahado sighed, but he placed a hand on Atem's shoulder and smiled kindly. "Then we will help."

Shimon frowned. "But it will be dangerous, my Pharaoh. Are you sure this Yuugi is worth the risk?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Atem stated, even as his arms tightened around Mana. She clutched at his cape in return. "Whatever it takes, I want to be with Yuugi."

"Then we should start working now," Set sighed. "Before his royal highness becomes a bigger pain than he already is."

"Anubis hasn't come for any of you," Atem muttered to himself quietly. "Why is that?"

"We pleaded for him to wait until we were all reunited," Mana replied, voice muffled in Atem's chest. "Now what do we do when he comes? He'll want to weigh us all."

"Anubis' returned will be stayed until he is certain he can find evidence of Atem's name," Set replied. "There is only one place in the entirety of Egypt that has Atem's name and likeness, and it will take Anubis some time. We have until then."

"What are your living friends doing?" Shada asked. "We should plan accordingly, so that we may aid them."

Atem nodded and pulled away from Mana; he tussled her hair affectionately before relaying to Shada what he could.

"So," Isis summarized, "My reincarnation will soon arrive to your temple to pray. I shall respond to her with you, so that we may help her."

Set hummed, one hand stroking his chin. "I believe I will take Shimon and Mahado with me, so that we can help my reincarnation and his boyfriend find the Millennium items somehow."

"May I go with you, Mahado?" Mana asked, jumping excitedly.

"Actually, Mana, I wish for you to go to Yuugi and his grandfather; make sure they make it safely through the traps of Atem's pyramid," the older magician replied.

"Do not concern yourself with those traps," Atem shook his head. "Isis and I will disable them once we arrive at the temple. I'll not have anything of mine threatening my _aibou_."

"As you wish," Set scoffed. "May we make haste? Kisara is still waiting for me. _I'd_ still like to go to the afterlife, after all."

Atem laughed. "Let's go. Yuugi is also waiting for me."

"Someone please help us," Shimon sighed, looking heavenward.

Isis giggled as she and Atem set off. "I'll be sure to ask the gods to bring you serenity."

* * *

There we go!


End file.
